Marta Stana, a distinguished architect known for her work in the Latvian modernist style from the 1950s to 1970s, is the subject of the newest coin from the Bank of Latvia.

Latvijas Banka on Oct. 1 issued a Proof .999 fine silver €5 coin titled “Building the Unbuilt,” dedicated to the late Stana.

Background

In her role as a teacher, she inspired many up-and-coming artists, designers, and other creative professionals, according to Latvijas Banka.

While most of her works have not been preserved in their original form, Stana’s most significant achievement — the Dailes Theatre building — continues to fulfill its cultural role with pride and stands as a lasting testament to modernist architecture, remaining accessible to the public today, the bank said, in an Oct. 14 press release.

Design details

Ruta Jumite, artist and multidisciplinary designer, designed the coin, her first coin design ever.

The obverse of the coin features partial images taken from Stana’s project sketches for two of her most notable works in Riga. The Dailes Theatre appears against a yellow background.

A façade fragment of a residential building in Riga appears below, with the roof of the (unrealized) Rezekne open-air stage on the left.

Elements of landscape design and trees “together represent the complexity of Stana’s architectural practice,” according to the bank.

The reverse also showcases some of Stana’s design, this time for projects that were never created: a viewing tower on Gaizinkalns (the highest point in Latvia) with a blueprint in the background, below it and on the right, and fragments of Budapest National Theatre sketches (stairs and columns) on the left.

The rectangular coin weighs 25 grams and measures 32 millimeters square. The coin has a mintage limit of 2,500 pieces and was struck at the Koninklijke Nederlandse Munt in the Netherlands.

It has an issue price of €85 and buyers are limited to three coins per purchase, only through the website e-monetas.lv/en.

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